The role of sleep in mental health conditions - West Midlands Winter Conference 2023

We are delighted to announced the West Midlands winter conference will explore the topic of  'The role of sleep in mental health conditions'.

We will hear talks from Psychiatrists, Psychologists and Professors at the top of their field on their research into sleep and the impact it has on common mental health conditions, including Psychosis, Bipolar and Neurodevelopmental disorders.

Full programme available

We are delighted to announce the following speakers:

Dr Isabel Morales-Muñoz – Assistant Professor, University of Birmingham

Dr Isabel Morales-Muñoz is Assistant Professor in Psychology based at the Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham. Her main area of research is to investigate risk factors for youth mental health, with a special focus on investigating the role of sleep problems in the development of mental health problems. Most of her current work is mainly focused on secondary data analyses (e.g. birth cohort studies, such as ALSPAC, Millennium cohort), but she has also expertise in using different scientific methods, including clinical assessments, neuropsychological testing and ERP assessments. Finally, Isabel and her research group are currently exploring the role of sleep in Postpartum Psychosis, in collaboration with Action on Postpartum Psychosis.

Sleep and Postpartum Psychosis (Joint talk)

Dr Daniela Almeida Borges – ST4 in General Psychiatry – Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust Honorary Research Associate – Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham

Daniela is a Portuguese doctor and a higher speciality trainee in General Adult Psychiatry in the West Midlands. She is also an honorary research associate with Birmingham University and is currently working with Dr Isabel Morales-Munoz on a project to better understand sleep changes in women with post-partum psychosis. Daniela started her research experience during her medical degree with an Integrated MSc in Medicine at the University of Coimbra (Portugal) with an original research project in psychological medicine. Daniela has been involved in trainee representation and medical education throughout her medical training. She has always been passionate about changing the culture of medical education to one that prioritises doctors’ wellbeing and validates and discusses emotional aspects of medical training. She completed a 12-month part time secondment as Wellbeing Trainee RCPsych West Midlands Division Improvement Fellow with Health Education England Thames Valley in August 2022. At present, she is one of the RCPsych Psychiatry Trainee Committee representatives for the West Midlands region.

Sleep and Postpartum Psychosis (Joint talk)

Professor Caroline Richards – Professor of Neurodevelopmental Conditions and Clinical Psychologist, University of Birmingham

Professor Caroline Richards is an academic and Clinical Psychologist at the University of Birmingham. Her research focuses on reducing negative clinical outcomes for children. Caroline leads a programme of sleep and behaviour research at the Cerebra Network for Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Her work with autistic children and children with rare genetic syndromes focuses on reducing self-injury, improving sleep disorders and understanding the impact of premature birth. Her research uses experimental, epidemiological, single case and meta-analytic techniques to identify risk markers, improve precision in models of mechanism and develop novel, proactive interventions.

Sleep, measurement complexity and neurodevelopmental conditions

Dr Muhammad Gul - CAMHS Consultant Psychiatrist, Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust

Dr Muhammad Gul is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. He completed General Psychiatry training and training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at St Mary’s Hospital London. During training, he obtained a Postgraduate Certificate in University Learning and Teaching from Imperial College London. 

He has a Master’s in Research in Psychiatry from University College London, is an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at Keele University, and teaches medical students. He is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy England and holds a Master’s in Medical Education from Keele University.

Autism, Co Morbidities and Management Challenges 

Dr Hugh Selsick – Consultant in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, Insomnia and Behavioural Sleep Medicine Clinic, University College London Hospitals

Dr Hugh Selsick studied Physiology and Medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and specialised in Adult and Addictions Psychiatry in the UK. He established the Insomnia and Behavioural Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine/University College London Hospitals, and is the lead clinician there. The clinic specialises in the treatment of insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, nightmares and related conditions. He also worked as a consultant in the Sleep Disorders Centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital.

He founded and chairs the Sleep Special Interest Group in the Royal College of Psychiatrists and is past president of the Sleep Medicine Section at the Royal Society of Medicine. His special interest is the relationship between sleep disorders and psychiatric disorders. He is co-author of Oxford Case Histories in Sleep Medicine (2015) and editor of Sleep Disorders in Psychiatric Patients: A Practical Guide (2018). He has also contributed to numerous textbooks on sleep and psychiatry.

Psychological and behavioural treatment of sleep disorders

Dr Sarah Reeve – Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, Norwich Medical School

Dr Sarah Reeve is an academic clinical psychologist specialising in sleep and psychosis. Her PhD, completed in the Oxford Cognitive Approaches to Psychosis group, established and elaborated on the role of sleep problems in causing and maintaining psychotic symptoms, with implications of sleep being a novel treatment target for psychosis. Through her subsequent clinical training and into her current roles Sarah continues to advance understanding and treatment of the overlap between sleep and mental health, with her research being informed by her clinical work in early intervention in psychosis services.

The role of sleep in psychosis: causal mechanisms and clinical implications

Midlands Art Centre - Birmingham
Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH

Parking: The closest car parks to the venue:

• Queens Ride car park, B5 7RL
• Pershore Road car park next to the Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park (BWCP) 

Train Station: The nearest train stations are: 

• Five Ways  (1.3 miles)
• Birmingham New Street (1.7 miles)
  
  

Each year the West Midlands Division runs a Clinical Audit/Quality improvement Prize for Foundation Doctors, Psychiatric Trainees and SAS Doctors at the Winter Webinar.

The winner will receive a £100 prize and chance to present their project at the Winter Webinar.

Entrants should have made a significant contribution to the audit / quality improvement project at conception and implementation phases, and the study should have begun not more than two years before submitting for the prize. It may be conducted by an individual alone, but consideration will be given to a multi-disciplinary audit.

The description should comprise a 1,500-2,000 word summary setting out the background to the project, the work involved and the outcome, and be accompanied by a letter confirming their participation from either their tutor or consultant supervisor.

West Midlands Clinical Audit/QI Prize Regulations 2022

If you have any questions regarding the competition or the conference please get in touch with the West Midlands Division team by emailing westmidlands@rcpsych.ac.uk.

Deadline for applications: 5 November 2023

The following speakers have competing interests to declare:

Dr Hugh Selsick:

• owns a private practice on sleep disorders
• has acted as a consultant to Alturix who were seeking approval for a low cost formulation of melatonin
• has sat on an advisory board on insomnia funded by Idorsia who produce daridorexant
• has also provided paid teaching to the staff of both companies.

Professor Caroline Richards: 

• Funds for research (Cerebra, Baily Thomas Foundation, MRC)